Eight – Bros  

Chapter 1  

The rain was pounding down on the pavement but Minho did not care in the slightest as he continued on with his late night run. A part of his mind was ruing his choice, knew that he would have to spend the better part of an hour in the shower just to even feel warm when he got in but that night he couldn’t have cared less. He needed to run, to be out of the house, to just be alone with his thoughts for a little while because he could not take the tension anymore.  

It was cowardly, he knew, but there was a time when he had to stop taking on everyone’s pressures and just worry about himself for once.  

Because whilst he did dearly love all his younger brothers, sometimes they were the biggest threat to their own safety and he was done with them that night. Three hours it had taken him and Seungmin to patch up Changbin, Hyujin and Jeonjin because the three idiots had decided to get into a fight with a bunch of other alphas for reasons which they wouldn’t state aloud to anyone, Felix walked home in the rain despite the fact that Jinsung had gone to get him but had been waylaid and missed him. Minho had bundled Felix up in all the blankets and pillows that he could find, ordered Changbin to take care of their very wet koala-bear and then gone to find Jinsung.  

Who had turned out to be rushing around the dance stupid in a panic because he had missed Felix. Minho had been furious with him for even being late but then had spotted the beta’s knuckles where split open and dragged him home silently without another word spoken. Which had led to another hour of rough love and Minho trying his best not to explode at everyone. He knew they were protective, knew that they watched out for one another but going to look for trouble and leaving one of their most vulnerable brothers unprotected was not the way to go about things.  

But he also understood them all, probably better than they did.  

Chan’s birthday had come and gone, another bitter reminder that their eldest brother was not with them where he was supposed to be and it always got harder with each passing year. Minho made a mental reminder to call home and check in with their parents once he was warmed up in the morning, because he knew that Xiumin wouldn’t be taking too well to the reminder of his eldest son not being around. Hell, he had been the most vocal about the kids moving out at first but Minho had also understood that reasoning too.  

At least at the time, Chan had been with them to keep things under control and provide some mega comfort to his Mama but now, it was steadily getting worse with each day that passed.  

Ice cold water soaked through his shoe as he stepped in a puddle that was far deeper than what he had expected and with a cry, Minho tumbled down onto the pavement. He cried out in shock, feeling his palms scrape against the rough concrete surface and instantly start to sting. Pausing for a moment, Minho took a deep breath to do a mental check that he hadn’t actually broken any bones and discovered to his embarrassment that he had only really scuffed his hands and had banged his knees.  

The only real damage which had been caused was that the headphones he had previously had on were now on the floor and as he picked them up, the headband snapped. “Oh man,” Minho sighed as he sat back on his haunches pouting, “It wasn’t that hard a fall.”  

Clearly it had been the last straw for these headphones which he sadly realised had been the ones which Chan had gifted him on his sixteenth birthday and another groan of frustration escaped his throat. “I’m sorry Chan...I’m so sorry...”  

Very carefully, the alpha wrapped the broken headphones up as best as he could before slipping them into the pocket of his hoody and took a glance around him. He was at the high street, the neon blinking signs of the closed shops enough to give him a clear indication that he had a twenty minute walk or ten minute run home to the others. Minho sighed long and hard, knowing that he was being an idiot by staying away from the brats because with their anxious moods right now it was impossible to work out what mischief that they would have gotten themselves into. Especially if Jeongin was still up and about, because despite the fact that he was nearly the age to be considered and adult in his own right, the boy was still their baby brother regardless and he needed his sleep.  

Not that Jeongin was ever that appreciative of the fact, but Minho couldn’t really blame the youngest alpha either. It was funny how they topped and tailed each other, but Minho was more concerned that if they let the youngest get into a habit of staying up stupidly late then he would probably not keep up with his classes when he went home at the end of the week. But right now, Minho was more worried that Jeongin would get into a fight with one of the others over something stupid and that would cause chaos on what had already been a rather chaotic night and if that happened there would be no way that he would get a warming, soothing shower in peace when he got in from the nasty weather.  

Though his eyes wandered over to a favoured bakery that stayed open all hours and the sweet smell of freshly baked goods was just far too tempting for him to ignore. Letting out a sigh, Minho shook his head and made his way across to it, “If there’s one way to get them all to shut up and be happy...”  

He smiled at the jangling of the bell and proceeded to make his regular order. Whilst this place wasn’t quite as good as Zuzu’s from home, it was as close as anyone had been able to find and it made things calm down and feel worthwhile for a bit so it had quickly become a favourite for everyone. With his bags of sweet freshly baked treats in hand, Minho set off back into the rain and hoped that the rain would let up.  

Five minutes into his walk back from the high street however, there came a giant rumble of thunder overhead which was followed swiftly by a lightening bolt in the center of the street which had Minho darting into a nearby alleyway with a squeak of fear. The rain started to lash down harder than before and the alpha found himself shivering instantly. Then jumping out of his skin as his phone belted out into life with a slightly nerve jangling tune.  

Minho didn’t even pause before pressing the accept call button, “I’m okay...” 

“Like hell you are,” Hyunjin’s voice came across the line, “Where are you?”  

“No! You’re not bringing the car out in this, it’s leatha....” he just about managed to contain a yell of fear behind his lips as another thunder clap boomed overhead but couldn’t stop the whimper. He knew he had lost before he even answered the call, “I’m just off the high street...in an alley...”  

“Can you see the road from there, Gege?” Hyunjin asked softly.  

“Yes, I think I’m at the top part of the....” a flash of lightening struck and illuminated the playground opposite which was good in a way that Minho never thought that it would be, “Up by Wolfie’s.”  

There was a pause for a second, “Right, I know where you are. Jisung’s coming with me, do you want to talk to him until we get there or do you have your music?”  

Minho considered it and whimpered loudly, damn he hated thunderstorms so much. He shuddered a bit, wrapping his arms around his body, “I...tripped and...the headphones...snapped...”  

“Okay, Jisung’s just going to talk to you and we’ll be there....”  

A long beeping noise came from Minho’s phone and he pulled the device away to see it flashing the low battery sign before promptly turning off and leaving him in the dark. “Oh for the love of!” he yelled loudly, then jumped in shock as another beat of thunder crashed right above his head and lightening struck what appeared to be mere feet away from him. It was actually on the opposite side of the road but Minho hated thunderstorms with a passion and had no way to stop himself from freaking out right now.  

This was not good, he couldn’t panic now because that would make him harder to find and he had to go back and protect the others because hell Changbin and Felix were probably besides themselves with worry and Jeongin was more than likely trying to rescue Seungmin from under the bed but it was so hard to not panic when there was all this going on around him and just... 

He whined again, feeling like a total idiot because he was supposed to be the big brother, supposed to be able to keep the cool head in situations like this and generally be awesome and have it all under control but right at this second he didn’t.  

There came a light crack, accompanied by a rustling sound and then a constant, gentle green light filled up the small alleyway that he had temporarily taken shelter in and Minho blinked in surprise. For a second everything settled, the howling wind dropped away, the rain stopped lashing and the storm that was doing a good job of acting like a toddler having a tantrum just disappeared as the soft light continued to be present in front of Minho’s face. Slowly his hands reached for it, almost mesmerized by the object and it wasn’t until his hands had fully clasped around it that reality came back into focus around him.  

But it wasn’t as scary anymore, he could breathe a little easier and there was a constant source of something that was stable and wouldn’t die on him for a long while. His brain eventually supplied the fact that he was holding onto a glow stick. Though one of those heavier set ones that were great for making Halloween pumpkins with. He rapidly blinked, coming back to his senses even further and turned his head to the right, into the dark of the alley way because logically he knew that a light stick was not just going to magically appear in his hands.  

There was a figure there, seeming to be hiding in the shadows but Minho felt no fear in the slightest. In fact, he felt a strange mix of protective and relief though his brain wasn’t quite registering that fact yet, even though he could pick up a gentle sweet smell of Tim Tams, which was odd because he hadn’t smelt those chocolate covered biscuits in years, not since... 

The glow stick, the bag which was holding onto the sweet treats and his phone all tumbled to the floor as a streak of lightening lit up the alleyway and Minho threw himself at the figure standing in the dark. It had only been a single glance, without even a chance to fully register everything but Minho had known instantly who was there and there was not a single chance in hell that he was going to let the other leave his sight ever again.  

~*~ 

“What the hell?” Changbin yelled as Hyunjin pushed open the door and grabbed hold of the smaller boy to guide him back a few paces so Minho could pass by rapidly with what appeared to be a dead body in his arms. “Minho! You’re soaked!” 

“And getting mud all over the floor!” Seungmin complained but then he stopped when he saw what his elder brother was carrying and his mouth opened in shock, “What the hell?”  

Minho sighed, “Stop asking me that, go get some dry clothes or get the bath started or some food or something.”  

“Gege?” at least three other voices asked aloud as Minho set the passed out figure on the sofa with a sigh.  

Jisung was quick to take up the slack however, “Changbin go and fetch that backpack I know you have hidden in your cupboard and bring it here right now, Seungmin get the kettle on, Felix clothes and blankets please and Hyunjin...”  

“Sorting out the car and security and answering like a hundred texts from Mama,” Hyunjin replied, waving from the doorway.  

“What about?” Jeongin started before yelping as he was pulled towards the figure on the couch, his bare feet slapping against the bare floor.  

“Hugging duty,” both Jisung and Minho said at the same time, pushing the youngster down onto the sofa. For a few seconds Jeongin was panicked, scared and completely confused but then the familiar scent hit his nose and all of his attention was on the figure in front of him. “Gege?”  

Minho gently ran his fingers through the youngest's hair, “Calm down, baby, he’s out for the count now but...”  

“Did you call the doctor?” Jeongin asked, “Or at least Uncle Siwon?  

“Working on it,” Hyunjin said, sighing, “Though the weather is not helping in the slightest.”  

Changbin appeared at that moment with the backpack and Minho took hold of it whilst Jisung settled for getting the blankets off of Felix to place over the two on the couch. It was Felix who broke the silence first, “Where...did you...find him?”  

“He was hiding in the alleyway that Minho had ducked into,” Hyunjin replied, seeing as the elders were fussing over the figure on the couch. “He gave Minho a glow stick cause he was scared of the storm but he passed out pretty quickly after Minho gave him a hug and he’s been like that ever since.”  

Changbin stepped closer, fingers running through the scraggy hair, “Why didn’t you take him to the hospital?”  

Minho raised his head up at the question with a frown on his face towards the other, who looked back confused before a slight head tilt towards Felix was all that Changbin needed to be reminded of what happened when they had been in his sort of situation the last time. Granted he had been only six at the time but it was an memory that he did not want to repeat. “Oh...are we sure though?”  

“Gege smells of Tim Tams,” Felix replied, moving forward to place his hand on the others head, “He always did.”